Framing structure and toggle retainer thereof



July 28, 1959 A. J. FITZGERALD FRAMING STRUCTURE AND TOGGLE RETAINER THEREOF Filed March 19, 1956 FIG.I.

INVENTOR I ALBERT J. FITZGERALD,

HIS ATTORNEY.

2,896,275 Patented July 28, 1959 FRAMING STRUCTURE AND ToGGLE RETAINER THEREOF Albert J. Fitzgerald, Syracuse, N .Y., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application March '19, 1956, Serial No. 572,268

9 Claims. (Cl. 20-564) The present invention relates to a new and improved framing structure.

More particularly, the invention relates to a new and improved framing structure especially adapted for mounting the safety glass on television receivers, and to a novel toggle retainer comprising a part of such framing struc ture.

There are many known types of framing structures available in the art-for mounting windows and screens or the like over openings in panels or cabinets. However, for the most part, the known framing structures are not suitable for use in mounting a safety glass on television receivers, or some similar use, because they do not possess all of the characteristics required of framing structures intended for applications of this type. In particular, it is essential that framing structure intended for use on articles such as television receivers be readily fabricated, and be so designed as to facilitate final assemblage of the article with which it is used. Also, such framing structures must be entirely dependable in service, and must present a decorative outer appearance. Further, the framing structure should be readily removable, so that when used on television receivers, a service man can easily remove the framing-structure together with'the safety glass retained thereby from the front of the 'tele vision receiver cabinet in order to clean the safety glass and the front of the television picture tube. Finally in addition to all of the above qualifies, the framing structure should be relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a new and improved framing structure and toggle retainer therefor which are easily fabricated, and which facilitate assemblage of a safety glass, or the like, on the object with which they are used.

Another object of the invention is to provide a framing structure and toggle retainer therefor which are both decorative in appearance, and dependable in service.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved framing structure and toggle retainer which are readily removable together with the safety glass or other object which it supports from the front of a television receiver cabinet or the like, to facilitate cleaning of such safety glass or other object.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved framing structurerand toggle retainer incorporating all of the above characteristics, and which are relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects, features and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be appreciated more readily as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings,

wherein like parts in each of the several figures are identified by the same reference character, and wherein:'

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front view of the top of a television receiver cabinet showing a new and improved framing structure constructed in accordance with the invention mounted thereon;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken through plane 2-2 of Figure 1, and illustrates the construction of a novel toggle retainer comprising a part of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of disassembled toggle retainer, similar to that illustrated in Figure 2, constructed in accordance with the invention; and

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the novel framing structure shown in Figure 1 taken through plane 4-4.

A framing structure 11 constructed in accordance with the invention is shown mounted around the picture opening in a television receiver cabinet 12 in Figure 1 of the drawings. The framing structure 11 retains a safety glass 13 in position over the opening, and is in turn retained in position on cabinet 12 by means of a plurality of generally opposed toggle retainers, indicated at 14, and shown more clearly in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawmgs.

As is best shown in Figures 2 and 3, each of the toggle retainers 14 comprises a right hand lever .arm 15, and a left hand lever arm 16. Each of the lever arms 15 and '16 is fabricated from sheet metal, and has a generally V-shaped cross-section throughout most of the length thereof. By V-shaped is meant a channeling of the sheet metal member along its longitudinal axis in such a fashion 15 and 16 from extensions 18 of the first leg portions of the generally V-shape members comprising the lever arms.

If desired, small slots 15 may be cut into the first leg portions of each of the lever arms 15 and 16 immediately adjacent the extensions 18 to provide means for adjusting the angle of the engaging lips 17 with respect to the longitudinal axis of the lever arms. The remaining adjacent ends of each of the lever arms 15 and 16 have a part 21 of the first leg portions thereof folded back over a part of the second leg portion of the generally V-shaped member comprising such lever arms. By folding back apart 21 of the end of each of the lever arms 15 and 16 in this manner, a retaining slot such as is illus trated at 22 in Figure 3 of the drawings, is defined. This retaining slot is adaptedto receive a sheet metal member having a thickness approximately equal to that ofthe sheet metal out of which the lever arms are fabricated, and comprises a means for retaining the toggle retainer in assembled relation. To further insure that the toggle retainer willbe secured in assembled relation, each of the second leg portions of the generally V-shape'd member comprising the lever arms has a small depression 23 formed in the ends thereof defining slots 22. Finally, in order to provide a means for fastening the toggle retainers to the remainder of the framing structure, each of the lever arms 15 and 16 has a plurality of fastening detents 24 formed thereon by punching out a portion of the sheet metal member out of which the lever arms are fabricated. The manner in which these fastening detents extends between and along the entire length of the lever arms and 16, and may have a small rim formed along one edge thereof by folding for strengthening purposes. The portions of connecting member 25 which seat in the retaining slots 22 formed on the lever arms 15 and 16 have a small protuberance 26 formed thereon which coact with the depressions 23 formed in the lever arms to firmly retain each of the lever arms 15 and 16, and connecting member 25 in assembled relation.

Prior to assembling the several parts of the toggle retainer 14 together, a resilient member 27, which preferably comprises a piece of sponge rubber, is secured to the end of each of the lever arms adjacent the engaging lip 17 thereof. Subsequently, the right and left hand lever arms 15 and 16 are aligned longitudinally, and the connecting member 25 is seated in the proper position in the retaining slots 22 formed on the adjacent ends of the lever arms so that the protuberances 26 engage and are retained in the depressions 23. By this operation, the lever arms are hinged together toggle fashion by a bendable hinge portion of the connecting member 25, and the toggle retainer is then ready for assemblage upon the opening in a television cabinet or wherever else desired. From the foregoing description, it can be appreciated that the toggle retainer 14 can be readily fabricated by semi-auto matic methods, and hence, is relatively inexpensive to manufacture. While the embodiment of the retainer described herein has been built from Substantially three separate parts, it is believed obvious that fewer parts could be used to construct the retainer. For example, it is quite possible to fabricate the retainer from a single piece of sheet metal, however, for economic reasons based primarily on the available machine tools, it is deemed desirable to construct the toggle retainer in the manner described in detail above.

The framing structure comprising the present invention is completed by assembling the toggle retainers 14. together with a plurality of framing members 28 connected together at their corner junctions by suitable corner pieces to form a closed loop. The framing members 28 have a generally U-shaped cross-section that is best shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, and preferably are semi-tubular. By the term U-shaped cross-section is meant any generally closed structure having a concave cross section such as a framing member having a rectangularly shaped cross section with one open face, or a V-shaped member, or even a semi-circular shaped member; the only requirement being that at least a portion of a longitudinal side of the framing member be open, and that the framing structure comprised of such members form a closed loop. While in the present example, a rectangular shaped framing loop is disclosed, it is believed obvious that other shaped loops may be formed by the framing structure comprising the present invention.

In mounting a framing structure constructed in accordance with the invention about an opening in a television receiver cabinet 12, for example, the structure is used in conjunction with a masking device 29 best shown in Figures 3 and4 of the drawing. The masking device 29 is secured to the interior of the television receiver cabinet 12 about the opening therein which defines the viewing area, and has a plurality of apertures 31 formed about its periphery which coincide with the edge of the opening in cabinet 12. Further, masking device 29 has a flatj portion which provides a support for the safety glass 13,

4. and safety glass 13 is retained in position on this support by the framing structure 11.

To mount the framing structure 11 around the opening in cabinet 12 over safety glass 13, the toggle retainers 14 are bent toggle fashion around the hinge portions thereof to the position indicated by dotted lines 32 in Figure 2. With the toggle retainer thus bent, the engaging lip 17 on the end of each of the lever arms 15 and 16 can be inserted in the apetrures 31 of the masking devices 29. The toggle retainers 14 are then straightened by forcing the hinge portions thereof down into alignment with the longitudinal axes of the lever arms 15 and 16. This operation serves to thrust the engaging lip 17 on the ends of the lever arms 15 and 16 out under the portion of the mask 29 surrounding the apertures 31 thereby locking the toggle retainer into position over the safety glass 13 in the manner best shown in Figure 4 of the drawings. The closed loop of framing members 28 is then slid into position by snapping an open edge of the generally U-shaped framing members 28 over the fastening detents 24 of all the toggle retainers 14 in the manner shown in Figure 4 of the drawings. This action places the entire framing structure under stress, and serves to lock the toggle retainers in their straightened position thereby assuring that the engaging lip 17 on the ends of the lever arms of all the toggle retainers will not become disengaged from under the mask 29. When thus assembled, toggle retainers 14 together with the framing members 28 firmly engage the safety glass 13, and retain it in position over the opening in cabinet 12. Subsequent to assembly, drop tests have proven that the framing structure herein described will firmly retain safety glass in its proper position over an opening in a cabinet under the most adverse conditions to which a cabinet utilizing such structure could be subjected.

From the foregoing description it can be appreciated that the present invention provides a new and improved framing structure that is readily fabricated, and facilitates assemblage of end articles utilizing such framing structureS. Further, the structure is durable and dependable in service, and yet provides a decorative outer appearance; Additionally,,the structure is constructed in such a manner that it can be readily removed from an opening about which it is mounted. Hence, the structure is ideally suited for use on television receiver cabinets in that it allows a repairman to easily remove the framing structure together with the safety glass from the front of the television receiver cabinet for cleaning the glass or the front of the television picture tube. In addition to all the above advantages, framing structures constructed in accordance with the invention are relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and can be produced by semi-automatic or automatic methods.

Obviously, other modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that changes may be made in the particular embodiment of the invention described which are within the full intended scope .depression formed in the remaining ends of each of said lever arms, a bendable connecting member having protuberances thereon coacting with the depressions in the retaining means formed on both of said lever arms extending between said lever arms for hinging said lever arms together toggle fashion, resilient cushioning members interpQsed between said lever arms and said connecting member at points adjacent said engaging lip and snap-on fastening means formed on said lever arms for engaging a framing member.

2. A toggle retainer fabricated from sheet metal comprising a pair of elongated sheet metal lever arms, each of said lever arms having a generally V-shape cross section throughout most of the length thereof and an engaging lip formed on one end thereof from an extension of a first leg of the V-shape cross-sectional sheet metal member forming the lever arm, the remaining end of each of said lever arms having a portion of the first leg of the generally V-shaped member comprising the lever arm folded back over a portion of the second leg of such member to form a retaining slot, and a bendable sheet metal connecting member secured in the retaining slots of both said lever arms and extending therebetween for hinging said lever arms together toggle fashion.

3. A toggle retainer fabricated from sheet metal comprising a pair of elongated sheet metal lever arms, each of said lever arms having a generally V-shape cross section throughout most of the length thereof, an engaging lip formed on one end of each of said lever arms from an extension of a first leg of the V-shape cross-sectional sheet metal member forming the lever arm, means for adjusting the angle of said engaging lip with respect to the longitudinal axis of said elongated lever arms, the remaining end of each of said lever arms having a portion of the first leg of the generally V-shaped member comprising the lever arm folded back over a portion of the second leg of such member to form a retaining slot with one of the portions defining such slot having a depression therein, a bendable sheet metal connecting member seated in the retaining slots of both said lever arms and having protuberances formed thereon coacting with said lever anns, said connecting member extending between said lever arms for hinging the same together toggle fashion, resilient cushioning members interposed between said lever arms and said connecting member at points adjacent saidengaging lips, and snap-on fastening means formed on said lever arms for engaging a framing member.

4. A framing structure comprising a closed loop formed from framing members having a generally U-shaped cross section, .a plurality of toggle retainers located at points generally opposed to each other around the loop formed by said framing members to retain the framing structure in position around an area to be framed, each of said toggle retainers comprising a pair of lever arms each having an engaging lip formed on one end thereof, a bendable hinge portion connecting said lever arms together at the remaining ends thereof .and fastening means formed on said lever arms for engaging said framing members to thereby retain said framing structure in position about an area to be framed.

5. A framing structure comprising a closed loop formed from framing members having a generally U-shaped cross section, .a plurality of toggle retainers located at points generally opposed to each other around the loop formed by said framing members and coacting with said framing members to retain the framing structure in position around an area to be framed, each of said toggle retainers being fabricated from sheet metal and comprising a pair of elongated reinforced sheet metal lever arms each having an engaging lip formed on one end thereof, a bendable sheet metal portion connecting said lever arms together at the remaining ends thereof to form a hinge, and fastening means formed on said lever arms for engaging said framing members to thereby retain said framing structure in position about an area to be framed.

6. A framing structure comprising a closed loop formed from framing members having a generally U-shaped cross section, a plurality of toggle retainers located at points generally opposed to each other around the loop formed by said framing members and coacting with said framing members to retain the framing structure in position around an area to be framed, each of said toggle retainers comprising a pair of elongated lever arms each having an engaging lip formed on one end thereof and retaining means formed on the other, a bendable connecting member coacting with the retaining means formed on both of said lever arms and extending therebetween for hinging said lever arms together toggle fashion, and fastening means formed on said lever arms for engaging said framing members to thereby retain said framing structure in position about an area to be framed.

7. A framing structure comprising a closed loop formed from framing members having a generally U-shaped cross section, a plurality of toggle retainers located at points generally opposed to each other around the loop formed by said framing members and coacting with said framing members to retain the framing structure in position around an area to be framed, each of said toggle retainers comprising a pair of elongated lever arms each having an engaging lip formed on one end thereof, means for adjusting the angle of said engaging lip with respect to the longitudinal axis of said elongated lever arm, retaining means including a small depression formed in the ends of each of said lever arms, a bendable connecting member having protuberances thereon coacting with the retaining means formed on both of said lever arms extending between said lever arms for hinging said lever arms together toggle fashion, resilient cushioning members interposed between said lever arms and said connecting member at points adjacent said engaging lips, and snap-on fastening means formed on said lever arms for engagin-g said framing members to thereby retain said framing structure in position about an area to be framed.

8. A framing structure comprising a closed loop formed from framing members having a generally U-shaped cross section, a plurality of toggle retainers located at points generally opposed to each other around the loop formed by said framing members and coacting with said framing members to retain the framing structure in position around an area to be framed, each of said toggle retainers fabricated from sheet metal and comprising a pair of elongated sheet metal lever arms, each of said lever arms having a generally V-shape cross section throughout most of the length thereof and an engaging lip formed on one end thereof from an extension of a first leg of the V-shaped cross-sectional sheet metal member forming the lever arm, the remaining end of each of said lever arms having a portion of the first leg of the generally V-shaped member comprising the lever arm folded back over a portion of the second leg of such member to form a generally U-shape retaining slot, a bendable sheet metal connecting member secured to the retaining slots of both said lever arms and extending therebetween for hinging said lever arms together toggle fashion, and fastening detents punched out of said lever arms for engaging said framing members to thereby retain said framing structure in position about an area to be framed.

9. A framing structure comprising a closed loop formed from framing members leaving a generally U-shaped cross section, a plurality of toggle retainers located at points generally opposed to each other around the loop formed by said framing members and coacting with said framing members to retain the framing structure in position around an area to be framed, each of said toggle retainers fabricated from sheet metal and comprising a pair of elongated sheet metal lever arms, each of said lever arms having a generally V-shape cross section throughout most of the length thereof and an engaging lip formed on one end of each of said lever arms from an extension of a first leg of the V-shape cross-sectional sheet metal member forming the lever arm, means for adjusting the angle of said engaging'lip with respect to the longitudinal axis of said elongated lever arms, the remaining end of each of said lever arms having a portion of the first leg of the generally V-shaped member comprising the lever 7 arm folded back over a portion of the second leg of such member to form a retaining slot with one of the portions defining such slot having a depression therein, a bendable sheet metal connecting member seated in the retaining slots ,of both said lever arms and having protuberances formed thereon coacting with said depressions for holding said connecting member in assembled relation with said lever arms, said connecting member extending between said lever arms for hinging the same together toggle fashion, resilient cushioning members, interposed between said lever arms and said connecting member at points adjacent said engaging lips, and snap-on fasten- UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,147,008 Edwards July 20, 1915 1,756,302 Pendery Apr. 29, 1930 2,681,487 Poupitch June 22, 1954 2,767,452 Lombardi Oct. 23, 1956 

